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jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
4.0
In the recent tradition of Animals, Paulina and Fran, Girls on Fire, Faithful, Innocents and Others and The Girls this is a fierce and nuanced and excellent exploration of female friendship and coming of age. I love these kinds of books. But I'm starting to worry that as time passes they all blur together as how I feel while reading them is exactly the same. It's a topic and a time of life that young white American women writers seem particularly interested in. Am I just reading the same story over and over? I think I might be. Is it a result of MFA culture in the US? Am I overthinking this? Should I just let myself enjoy the stories I enjoy? Where are the other stories? So yeah I loved this but I have some questions to work through.
whatmayisha's review against another edition
1.0
I absolutely hated this book. I think I missed the point of this, but tbh what was the point?
This reminded me a lot of White Oleander, but I found that characters in that to inspire a lot more sympathy. Here, I felt nothing for them. I didn't feel bad for any of them, but I am glad that in the end, Cat is on a different path.
This reminded me a lot of White Oleander, but I found that characters in that to inspire a lot more sympathy. Here, I felt nothing for them. I didn't feel bad for any of them, but I am glad that in the end, Cat is on a different path.
goblinz's review against another edition
4.0
Marlena was engaging from the very first page. You know from the very beginning that Marlena is dead. It switches chapter to chapter from Cats young life in Michigan to her older- slightly regretful- life in New York. Ok.... super regretful. She is also dealing with moderate alcoholism... Ok... moderate isn't the right word either. But all of this stems back to when she first moved to a small town in Michigan, where she met her best friend Marlena.
Marlena is a lower-class girl with spunk. Marlena is the best friend you're jealous of because she seemingly is experienced in everything you're curious about, and she hides it inherently. Marlena has a dark past, and present.
Marlena and Cat experience a lot of up and downs. They have more of a sister relationship than anything else, which makes it so that they are capable of being huge brats to each other to the point where you are seriously angry at the characters because you can't believe they said something so degrading to one another.
As they deal with issues that are caused by one another throughout the book, you also realize that a lot of their issues were out of each others control.
Reading about marlena and cat's last meeting with each other is heartbreaking. Cat's interpretation of their real goodbye is heartwarming. The last two sentences in the book are so wholesome they make you cry- which if the whole book isn't worth a read, it is worth reading just for those two sentences.
This was a wonderful book about friendship, questions and answers about sexual experiences in a young teens life, and hardships. It is relatable and even though Cat isn't the most enthralling character, you see a good example of cause and effect, and a good example of friendship whether it be good or bad.
Marlena is a lower-class girl with spunk. Marlena is the best friend you're jealous of because she seemingly is experienced in everything you're curious about, and she hides it inherently. Marlena has a dark past, and present.
Marlena and Cat experience a lot of up and downs. They have more of a sister relationship than anything else, which makes it so that they are capable of being huge brats to each other to the point where you are seriously angry at the characters because you can't believe they said something so degrading to one another.
As they deal with issues that are caused by one another throughout the book, you also realize that a lot of their issues were out of each others control.
Reading about marlena and cat's last meeting with each other is heartbreaking. Cat's interpretation of their real goodbye is heartwarming. The last two sentences in the book are so wholesome they make you cry- which if the whole book isn't worth a read, it is worth reading just for those two sentences.
This was a wonderful book about friendship, questions and answers about sexual experiences in a young teens life, and hardships. It is relatable and even though Cat isn't the most enthralling character, you see a good example of cause and effect, and a good example of friendship whether it be good or bad.
cmrobe06's review against another edition
4.0
I do like the complexity of female friendships through high school so I really enjoyed this book. It wrapped up perfectly for me as well. Very quick read.
celiapowell's review against another edition
3.0
A slightly depressing novel about teenage friendship, and broken families, and kids making terrible decisions - well written, and draws very vivid pictures of small-town life for teenagers.
rivrwalkr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I want to read it again and again, if only to understand her more
rachelfreedman's review against another edition
Was recommended to me in a bookstore when I asked for a book I’d want to reread. I wouldn’t say it was bad, I would even say it was well-written, but I finished it with no desire to read it again.
zellreads's review against another edition
2.0
Kind of meandering and pointless. I love a book about teenage obsession but this just felt sad and half-formed. Lots of parental neglect, missing the obvious, and a main character who doesn't really grow up.
jayla_hh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual assault
rachelselene's review against another edition
4.0
Why do they say ghosts are cold? Mine are warm, a breath dampening your cheek, a voice when you thought you were alone.
i really, really liked this book. i don't often read novels about modern teenage girls, but this one caught my attention because it was set in michigan. i was born in michigan, i live in michigan, i've spent my whole life in michigan - and i've also spent quite a few summers vacationing up north, passing through rural towns very much like silver lake. there was a sense of nostalgia for me in marlena: the snow-heavy winters, the cornfields, the long drives from one small town to the next, even little mentions of landmark sites like the mackinaw bridge and ann arbor (hello, fellow wolverines!). buntin's prose re: the scenery had a lot to do with how much i enjoyed this book. in fact, her prose re: everything was pretty great. was it a bit wordy or "too much" at times? yes. but i kind of like "too much," and i'm always gravitating toward books with flowery and poetic prose. there were some really poignant sentences in this one.
another factor: cat's dad. in so many ways her relationship with him echoed my relationship with my own father, to the point where some of their scenes made my heart ache: how he cut ties with his children, how their closeness during cat's childhood faded into vague memories with time, how he emotionally and physically abused his wife (pretending not to hear when she spoke? check. deliberately shoving her and watching her slam over a piece of machinery? check. for cat's mom it was the stairmaster; for my mom it was the open dishwasher.) i did not expect to form such an emotional connection to this book, but there it is.
admittedly, it took me a bit of time to get into this story. i moved through the first third at the pace of a snail, but my interest peaked around page 100 and i got through the rest quickly. there are a lot of questions left unanswered here, but it works. life is messy; that's something that cat, as an adult, is trying to reconcile herself with as she narrates her time in silver lake. it's complicated and unpredictable and most of the time we don't get any answers.
"Tu es mon diamant," Marlena told Sal, when he finished all of his food. "Je t'aime beaucoup." How strange to hear those swinging vowels--all city lights and crusty loaves of bread and blue shutters and expensive perfume--in that place, with its cement floor, with its bone chill and empty cabinets.
i really, really liked this book. i don't often read novels about modern teenage girls, but this one caught my attention because it was set in michigan. i was born in michigan, i live in michigan, i've spent my whole life in michigan - and i've also spent quite a few summers vacationing up north, passing through rural towns very much like silver lake. there was a sense of nostalgia for me in marlena: the snow-heavy winters, the cornfields, the long drives from one small town to the next, even little mentions of landmark sites like the mackinaw bridge and ann arbor (hello, fellow wolverines!). buntin's prose re: the scenery had a lot to do with how much i enjoyed this book. in fact, her prose re: everything was pretty great. was it a bit wordy or "too much" at times? yes. but i kind of like "too much," and i'm always gravitating toward books with flowery and poetic prose. there were some really poignant sentences in this one.
another factor: cat's dad. in so many ways her relationship with him echoed my relationship with my own father, to the point where some of their scenes made my heart ache: how he cut ties with his children, how their closeness during cat's childhood faded into vague memories with time, how he emotionally and physically abused his wife (pretending not to hear when she spoke? check. deliberately shoving her and watching her slam over a piece of machinery? check. for cat's mom it was the stairmaster; for my mom it was the open dishwasher.) i did not expect to form such an emotional connection to this book, but there it is.
admittedly, it took me a bit of time to get into this story. i moved through the first third at the pace of a snail, but my interest peaked around page 100 and i got through the rest quickly. there are a lot of questions left unanswered here, but it works. life is messy; that's something that cat, as an adult, is trying to reconcile herself with as she narrates her time in silver lake. it's complicated and unpredictable and most of the time we don't get any answers.
"Tu es mon diamant," Marlena told Sal, when he finished all of his food. "Je t'aime beaucoup." How strange to hear those swinging vowels--all city lights and crusty loaves of bread and blue shutters and expensive perfume--in that place, with its cement floor, with its bone chill and empty cabinets.